The field of invention relates to powered systems and, more specifically, to detecting a physical defect of the powered system, and/or a mission route upon which the powered system travels.
Powered systems, such as, but not limited to, off-highway vehicles, marine vessels, trains and other rail vehicle systems, agricultural vehicles, and mass cargo and mass transit transportation vehicles, usually are powered by a power unit, such as but not limited to a diesel engine. With respect to rail vehicle systems, the powered system is a locomotive, which may be part of a train that further includes a plurality of rail cars, such as freight cars. Usually more than one locomotive is provided as part of the train, where the grouping of locomotives is commonly referred to as a locomotive “consist.” Locomotives are complex systems with numerous subsystems, with each subsystem being interdependent on other subsystems.
An operator is usually aboard a locomotive to ensure the proper operation of the locomotive, and when there is a locomotive consist, the operator is usually aboard a lead locomotive. As noted above, a locomotive consist is a group of locomotives that operate together for moving a train. In addition to ensuring proper operations of the locomotive or locomotive consist, the operator is also responsible for determining operating speeds of the train and forces within the train. To perform these functions, the operator generally must have extensive experience with operating the locomotive and various trains over the specified terrain. This knowledge is needed to comply with prescribed operating speeds that may vary with the train location along the track. Moreover, the operator is also responsible for ensuring that in-train forces remain within acceptable limits.
However, even with knowledge to assure safe operation of a train, the operator cannot usually operate the train to immediately detect a defect experienced by the train as it traverses a route. Typically such defects are detected by using accelerometers that are mounted on at least one axle of the train and/or within a cab of at least one locomotive that is part of the train, or at least one force gauge measurement device. A force gauge measurement instrument is used to measure the force during a “push or pull” experienced during operation of the train. More specifically, the force gauge measurement device can measure forces at couplers between the railcars and/or locomotives based on whether at least one of the locomotives is motoring where it is either pushing the railcars and/or non-motoring locomotives and/or is pulling railcars and/or non-motoring locomotives. An accelerometer is a device for measuring acceleration and gravity induced reaction forces. Single-axis and multi-axis models are available to detect magnitude and direction of the acceleration as a vector quantity. Accelerometers can be used to sense inclination, vibration, and shock.
Force gauge measurement instruments and accelerometers are mechanical devices which may malfunction due to weathering and/or normal wear and tear. Depending on when one of these devices may fail, the train operator may not have information provided by these devices available during a mission. Therefore, train owners and operators would benefit from having another approach to detect train defects while the train is performing a mission.